Ben Potter was named the Averett University Director of Golf in December 2020. He has served as the head coach for the men's golf program since May 2019 and has also led the women's golf program, which began play in fall 2021.
On the men's side, Potter has returned the Cougars to national prominence with national rankings and major national awards in his first five seasons while building a strong foundation with the start of the women's golf program at Averett and being named the 2023-24 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Women's Golf Coach of the Year..
In Potter's first season at the helm, the Cougars continued to succeed. During the shortened 2019-20 season, Potter's men's team played in five events, earning one team win and two individual wins. Potter also led the Cougars to as high as a No. 22 national ranking by Golfstat. He coached the 2020 Division III Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award recipient, who also was a Golf Coaches Association of America First Team All-America and All-Region selection, a member of the GCAA All-Freshman Team, the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) State Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year and ranked No. 3 in the nation by Golfstat.
The Cougars' men's program continued to grow in 2020-21, earning a top-25 ranking in two polls during the spring. Averett was ranked as high as No. 7 in the country, with individuals ranked as well, including one as high as No. 5 by Golfstat. The Cougars earned one medalist honor and five top-10 finishes in seven events. For the second consecutive season, he produced the VaSID State Rookie of the Year.
The 2021-22 season saw the men's program began the season with a No. 20 ranking and picked up an individual win at the prestigious Golfweek Division III Invitational while the B Team earned an individual win at the Virginia Wesleyan University Marlin Invitational. The Cougars produced one all-conference selection and multiple weekly award winners.
In 2022-23, Potter's men's team returned to the NCAA Division III National Championships for the first time in 20 years, where the Cougars had a top-four individual finish. Averett earned a top-20 ranking in both the Bushnell/Golfweek Division III Coaches Poll and Golfstat, with two individuals earning top-13 Golfstat rankings during the season. Potter also produced his second Division III Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award recipient in four years, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year and VaSID State Rookie of the Year, two VaSID All-State First Team selections and two All-ODAC First Team selections. In addition, two of his players earned PING All-America status and PING All-Region honors.
In 2023-24, Potter again coached the men's program to a top-25 national ranking in two polls as the team won one event and three different individuals won events for the Cougars. Four different Averett men's players garnered ODAC Golfer of the Week awards with two earning All-ODAC honors.
In his first three seasons guiding the Averett women's golf program, Potter has continued to build a talented roster filled with potential. In the Cougars' first season, Potter produced one all-conference selection with one weekly honor. The Cougars took even bigger strides in 2022-23. Averett had its first ever individual tournament winner, a three-time ODAC Golfer of the Week selection and one All-ODAC selection. In 2023-24, Averett had another individual tournament winner, broke into the top 100 of the rankings for the first time and produced one All-ODAC selection and three ODAC Golfer of the Week selections.
A 2019 Averett graduate, Potter played his final two seasons of collegiate golf at Averett, helping the Cougars win the Virginia Wesleyan University Marlins Invitational this spring. Potter placed second at the event as part of two top-10 finishes during his senior season. In two seasons at Averett, Potter earned USA South Academic All-Conference honors, was named to the 2019 USA South All-Sportsmanship Team, was inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma student-athlete honor society and twice received the golf program’s service award. Prior to transferring to Averett, Potter played two seasons at Johnston Community College.
A native of Kinston, North Carolina, Potter earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing management and his master of business administration with a marketing concentration from Averett. He lives in Danville with his wife, Leah.
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| BEN POTTER'S YEAR-BY-YEAR MEN'S GOLF COACHING RESULTS |
| Season |
A Team Events |
Team Wins |
Team Top 10s |
Indiv.
Wins |
Notable |
| 2019-20 |
5 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
Team ranked as high as No. 22 by Golfstat.com |
| 2020-21 |
7 |
0 |
5 |
1 |
Team ranked as high as No. 7 by Golfstat.com |
| 2021-22 |
9 |
0 |
6 |
2 |
Team ranked as high as No. 17 by Bushnell/Golfweekand as high as No. 32 by Golfstat.com |
| 2022-23 |
10 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
NCAA National Championship Team appearance; Top-four individual finisher at NCAA National Championship; Team ranked as high as No. 19 by Bushnell/Golfweek and as high as No. 18 by Golfstat.com |
| 2023-24 |
9 |
1 |
6 |
3 |
Team ranked as high as No. 14 by Bushnell/Golfweekand as high as No. 14 by Scoreboard/Clippd |
| Totals |
40 |
2 |
28 |
7 |
|
| Â MEN'S COACHING HIGHLIGHTS |
 • 2 Division III Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award selections (2020 and 2023)
 • 1 NCAA Division III National Championship team appearance (2023)
 • 1 NCAA Division III National Championship top-four individual finisher (2023)
 • 3 Golf Coaches Association of America All-America selections
 • 3 Golf Coaches Association of America All-Region selections
 • 2 Golf Coaches Association of America All-Freshman Team selections
 • 1 Virginia Sports Information Directors State Player of the Year selection
 • 3 Virginia Sports Information Directors State Rookie of the Year selections
 • 4 Virginia Sports Information Directors All-State Team selections
 • 1 Academic All-District selection
 • 5 all-conference selections |
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| BEN POTTER'S YEAR-BY-YEAR WOMEN'S GOLF COACHING RESULTS |
| Season |
Events |
Team Wins |
Team Top 10s |
Indiv.
Wins |
Notable |
| 2021-22 |
8 |
n/a |
n/a |
0 |
Program's Inaugural Season |
| 2022-23 |
9 |
1 |
8 |
2 |
--- |
| 2023-24 |
9 |
0 |
7 |
1 |
--- |
| Totals |
26 |
1 |
15 |
3 |
|
| Â WOMEN'S COACHING HIGHLIGHTS |
 • 2023-24 ODAC Coach of the Year
 • 3 all-conference selections
 • 6 ODAC Golfer of the Week selections
 • 1 USA South Rookie of the Week selection |
Last updated: 5/16/2024
